Attachment for sewing machines



June 20, 1933. w Q H K 1,914,948

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 12, 1930 Patented June 20, 1933 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM G. I-IAKE, F $1. LOUIS, MISSOURI ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Application filed December 12, 1930. Serial No. 501,826.

This invention relates to an attachment for sewing machines; and has special reference to a device for guiding and applying tape having one edge serrated in order to guide and apply the tape in a position to form a French binding for shoes.

As distinguished from the device disclosed in my prior Patent, N 0. 1,743,817, issued January 14, 1930, the present invention comlo prises means for engaging the serrated edge of tap-e in order to guide and control the movement of the tape through the guide tube, so that the serrations will not 1nterfere with the movement of the tape through the guide but will permit the tape to be laid evenly and uniformly along the edges of shoe uppers. In order to cooperate with the ser rated edge of the tape, the guide must be constructed so that it will not permit the lateral edges of the serrations to engage or abut against the guide in such a way as to interfere with the uniform movement of the tape or to cause any portion of the tape to fold or buckle. The abutment of the serrations against portions of the guide with consequent interference with the unlform movement of the tape and the creation of wrinkles or folds in the tape has been a difficulty encountered in the attempted use of known devices for the guidance and appllcatlon of serrated tape. My present invention overcomes these difiiculties and guides the tape properly, so that the tape moves uniformly through the device and 1s prevented from wrinkling or folding, but is laid evenly and uniformly along the edges of shoe uppers.

The foregoing objects and advantages are obtained by the construction herein disclosed and described, referencebelng made to the accompanying drawing, n which Fig. 1 is a front elevatlon of my lmproved attachment for guiding serrated tape.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation opposite from that shown in Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional v1ew illustrating the mounting of the guide for the serrated edge of the tape and the relationship thereof to the guideproper.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of shoe upper having a serrated tape attach-ed thereto by a machine using the present invention.

The device in which the present invention is embodied is adapted for attachment to a sewing machine having an arm 1 and a vertically reciprocating needle bar 2 for operating the needle 3. The arm 1 rigidly supports :1. depending bracket 4 having a downwardly and laterally curved arm 5 attached to the lower end thereof by a removable screw fastener 6. An axle stud 7 is mounted in the lower end of the arm 5 and functions as a supporting axle for the presser roller 8.

The front side of the presser roller 8 is 7 formed with a dished recess or concavity 9 and the periphery 10 of said roller is ribbed ing devices for the serrated tape. The guid ing device for the serrated tape comprises angular walls 13 and 14 arranged approximately parallel with each other and forming a slot or passage 15 through and by which the tape 16 is passed and guided. The 7 lower portions of the walls 13 and 14 below the axis 7 of the presser roller 8 flare laterally in proper cooperative relationship to the adjacent inclined wall of the presser roller 8 (Fig. 4), so that the lower closed edge of the slot or passage 15 is nearly in alinement with the lower peripheral portion of said roller 8 while the upper portion of said slot or passage 14 is approximately vertical. This laterally inclined portion of the guide slot or passage 15 is provided in order to lay the lower portion ofthe tape 16 upon the adjacent marginal portion of a shoe upper 17 or other piece of work to which the tape is to be secured. The guide slot of passage 15 provided by the walls 13 and 14 inclines downwardly toward the plane of the lower peripheral portion of the presser roller 8, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The needle 3 operates approximately diametrically across the plane of the axis of the roller 8 (Fig. 2) and through a notch 18 provided in the lower ends of the walls 13 and 14 in order to permit passage of the needle through the tape 16 immediately adjacent to the end of the guide tube from which the tape emerges. Thus, the needle 3 will form a line of stitches 19 along the smooth or even marginal edge of the tape 16 and through thematerial 17 and will thus secure these parts together. Therefore, the construction is such that the lower marginal edge of the tape is bent laterally under the needle 3 by the laterally bent end portion 20 of the guide, which includes the two guide forming walls 13 and 14.

The wall 13 is rigid with the front edge of the arm 11 and has an upwardly and rearwardly curved extension 21 against which the tape operates and against which the tape is guided by a loop 22 through which the tape passes along the part 21 of the guide and thence into the slot 15 and thence beyond the lower end of said slot at which the lower even edge of the tape is laid laterally upon the shoe material 17 by means of the laterally curved portions 20 of the guide tube, as above described.

My invention comprises a device arranged to engage the ends of the serrations 23 along one edge of the tape so as to hold the tape pressed downwardly to the lower edge of the guide tube or passage 15 in such position that the edge of the tape will be approximately even with the edge of the material 17 and in position to receive the line of stitches 19. The device for this purpose comprises an upwardly and forwardly inclined member 24 (Fig. 2) having a lower edge 25 parallel with the lower wall of the guide tube or passage 15. The member 24 extends through an opening 26 into the guide tube or passage 15 and has the lower longitudinal edge 25 within said passage and below the upper wall of said passage so as to engage the ends of a number of the serrations 23. The member 24 is formed integral or rigid with a stem 27 of appropriate curvature and angularity so that a portion 28 of said stem extends upwardly for sliding adjusting movements through a supporting bracket 29 rigid. with the arm 11 and projecting laterally therefrom beyond the concave recess 9 in the roller 8. An adjusting nut 30 is screwed upon the upper end of the stem portion 28. A coil spring 31 is mounted on the stem 28 and its lower end seats upon an abutment 32 on said stem and its upper end bears against the lower end of the bracket 29. The power and energy of the spring 31 is exerted to actuate the stem 27 downwardly so as to hold the member 24 in its lowest position in the guide tube 15 that the nut 30 permits. Thus, by screwing the nut 30. in a direction toward the end of the stem portion 28, the spring 31 is permitted to expand and press the member 24 downwardly into the guide tube or passage 15 while said stem at all times holds the lower edge 25 of the member 24 parallel with the lower wall of said guide tube or passage 15 in order that said lower edge 25 of the member 24 may simultaneously and constantly engage the ends of a number of the serrations 23. By experience, I have found that this arrangement positively prevents distortion of the tape and provides a construction and combination of elements whereby the tape is properly guided and laid upon the material 17 evenly and uniformly.

The end of the wall 14 at the inlet end of the passage 15 is provided with an outwardly curved extension'33 against which the ends of the serrations 23 contact as the tape moves downwardly through said passage 15. By this curved construction of the extension 33 the ends of the serrations 23 are straightened and smoothed, so that the serrations extend upwardly in order that the ends of the serrations 23 will move against the lower edge 25 of the member 24. The lower end of the wall 13 is provided with a somewhat similar outwardly curved portion 34 which functions to smooth and straighten the serrations whenever, for any reason, the tape is drawn upwardly through the passage 15. Thus, the

tape may be fed downwardly through the passage 15 to the stitching mechanism without possibility of the serrations 23 becoming folded or distorted. This is necessary in order to prevent the tape from becoming distorted.

And the tape may be drawn backwardly for any desired purpose, because the projection 34 also functions to extend and straighten the serrations.

Itis now clear that my invention obtains all of its intended purposes in an efficient and satisfactory manner. The construction may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and prin ciple of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for guiding to the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine tape having one edge serrated and the other edge straight comprising substantially parallel spaced walls forming an angular passage for guiding the tape and placing the straight edge portion of the tape in positionfor operation of the stitching mechanism, said passage having an elongated slot in its upper side, and an .elongated member extending into the slot between said walls and having an elongated lower edge extending a substantial distanceparallel with the lower wall of said passage and arranged to contact with the ends of a plurality of'serrations on the tape continuously during movement of the tape through said passage and thereby press the tape to position in which the opposite edge of said tape is against the wall of said passage opposite from said slot.

2. An attachment for sewing machines comprising approximately parallel spaced walls forming an angular passage for guiding tape, there being an elongated slot opening into the upper portion of said passage, and an elongated member extending into said slot between said walls and having an elongated lower edge parallel with the lower portion of said passage, said member extending forwardly and r-earwardly beyond the vertical plane of travel of the needle of the sewing machine.

3. An attachment for guiding t0 the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine tape having one edge serrated and the other edge straight comprising upwardly extended spaced walls connected at their lower edges for guiding the tape and placing the straight edge portion of the tape in position for operation of the stitching mechanism, an elongated member extending into the upper portion of M the space between said walls and having an elongated lower edge extending a substantial distance approximately parallel with the connection uniting the lower edges of said walls and arranged to contact with the ends of the plurality of serrations on the tape continuously during movement of the tape and thereby press the tape to position in which the opposite edge of said tap-e is against said connection that unites the lower edges of said walls, and means for securing said member in difierent adjusted positions according to the different widths of serrated tape to be placed between said walls.

WILLIAM C. HAKE. 

